Take steps to curb mosquito menace

A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday requested officials concerned of the government to take adequate measures to tackle the mosquito menace in all 12 city corporations as well as the whole country.

Advocate JR Khan Robin sent an application to the secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Planning; and chief executive officers and chief health officers of 12 city corporations, saying that he will take legal steps against them if they fail to take the measures.

The 12 city corporations are -- Dhaka north and south, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Chattogram, Cumilla, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Barishal, Rangpur and Mymensingh.

According to the application, the mosquito problem in the country, particularly in urban areas, is becoming more and more menacing. Although the persons concerned try to protect people from the "dengue virus" by taking various measures, those are not sufficient.

In the application, Robin said the number of Aedes mosquitoes, the carrier of dengue, is increasing day by day due to lack of adequate measures.

ONE DEAD, 126 MORE INFECTED IN 24HRS

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, at least one dengue patient died, while 126 were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till yesterday morning.

The death toll has now risen to 273, while cases are now 61,755, of which 22,866 have been recorded outside Dhaka.

A total of 60,909 patients, 22,515 from outside Dhaka, have been released.

Some 573 patients, 247 from outside Dhaka, are still undergoing treatment.

Experts have been urging authorities concerned to conduct extensive drives by identifying clusters of Aedes mosquitoes immediately.